


touch (or, the ripple effect)

by valvacious



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Touch-Starved, angst if you squint, domestic fluff if you squint really hard, i think, i'm bad at tags sorry, if no one will feed me soft sakuatsu crumbs i'll do it myself
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:47:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27209134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valvacious/pseuds/valvacious
Summary: Maybe this is what he needed all along; maybe this is what he’s been starved of.-Kiyoomi finds the missing piece he's been searching for in Atsumu.
Relationships: Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi
Comments: 11
Kudos: 189





	touch (or, the ripple effect)

**Author's Note:**

> I listened to Falling by Harry Styles as I wrote this! Go give it a listen :)

Warm sunlight streams in from the window, curling and twisting around a sleeping Atsumu. His nose is slightly scrunched up and he’s drooling on the pillow a little. Beside him, Kiyoomi’s eyes are wide open. 

There’s a tight feeling in Kiyoomi’s chest, like he can’t breathe. Like his lungs are being constricted and crushed, and he’s gasping for air. Like he’s right at the surface of water, and the light is right at his fingertips, just out of reach.

The bed feels empty, though the light snoring indicates it clearly isn’t. He’s felt like this for months, like there’s something missing, something he can’t exactly pinpoint. It scares him and keeps him up until early dawn, when he can finally see Atsumu, when he can finally reassure himself that Atsumu is still here.

He doesn’t touch Atsumu to comfort himself. Touch has never been an easy thing in their relationship. Instead he sits up and huddles in on himself, pulling his knees to his chest until his breathing begins to even out. When he looks up again, Atsumu has woken up, and is smiling at him gently. 

“Do you want breakfast? Or to just sit here a bit more?” 

Kiyoomi shakes his head. He doesn’t know what he wants, but he can’t stop the next words that tumble from his mouth: 

“I think I need some space.” 

Atsumu’s smile never wavers, but Kiyoomi can see hurt flash in his eyes. He hates it. He hates himself for doing this and he hates that he’s like this. Always making Atsumu give, but never being able to give back, despite how much he wants to.

“Okay.” Atsumu’s voice is soft, still hazy with sleep, but sturdy and strong and everything Kiyoomi loves. “Where do you want me?” 

“Could you… leave the room but… call me…” It’s a ridiculous request, but Atsumu agrees to it anyway. Kiyoomi’s phone rings a while after the door closes. 

“Omi? Can you hear me?” There’s some shuffling in the background, a small thump, and then Atsumu starts talking again. “Is this what you need?”

“Yes,” Kiyoomi mumbles, and finally allows himself to crack. He shudders with each tear that falls, and manages to breathe out, “Please… keep talking…” 

Atsumu tells him about the one time he messed up an onigiri order because he got distracted by cat videos and Osamu nearly killed him. Atsumu tells him about a fantastic play he thought of while watching a match between the EJP Raijins and Tachibana Red Falcons. Atsumu tells him about everything and nothing until his voice is nothing but a sweet, low ringing in Kiyoomi’s ears, a familiar lullaby. 

Kiyoomi makes a decision and stands up. He opens the door to where Atsumu is sitting in their living room, coffee table pushed aside, his back to Kiyoomi. He’s still gesturing animatedly, the phone pressed close to his ear. 

Silently, as quiet as a cat, he stalks towards Atsumu, slides to the floor and pushes his arms around Atsumu’s waist, leaning into Atsumu’s hoodie. His legs are bent awkwardly and Atsumu drops the phone in surprise, but he doesn’t move. 

He lets Kiyoomi drop his head against the hoodie and doesn’t reach out to touch Kiyoomi. 

A ripple - and then Kiyoomi breaks water. Air fills his lungs and the hole in his heart. Maybe this is what he needed all along; maybe this is what he’s been starved of. His fingers are steady as they press against soft fabric, against a chest with a heart that beats and beats and never stops. 

“Thank you,” Kiyoomi whispers. _I love you_ goes unsaid.

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to Lei and Blue who helped me to beta this, y'all are amazing <3  
> This is my first work on AO3, so constructive criticism and feedback is appreciated and welcome :)  
> If you enjoyed this, come find me on Twitter ([@valvaciously](https://twitter.com/valvaciously)) to hang out and talk :D Thank you so so much for reading!


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